Display



Aug. 9, 1932. F. A. APFELBAUM 1,871,252

DISPLAY Filed Aug. 29, 1931 2 SheetsSheet 1 Z0 INVENTOR ATTOR Patented Au 9, 1932 FREDERICK A. .APFELBAUM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DISPLAY I Application filed August 29, 1931. SerialNo. 560,060.

This invention relates to displays, and more particularly to displays of the continuous or repeating type.

Among the objects which the invention has 5 in view are :To provide a continuous display utilizing a ribbon of any desired length; to utilize such a ribbon without having to alter the supporting means therefor according to the length of the ribbon employed; to concentrate the actuatinginechanism;to provide a mechanism such that the ribbon may be of a considerable length without increasing the size of the entiredevice; to enable the device to be compact without limitation'in the length of the ribbon; to secure simplicity of construction and operation, and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

In the drawing: 1 v I Figure 1 is a perspective of a display in suspended position and embodying my invention' F igure 2 is a plan with the cover removed; Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 2. V V

Figure 4 is a perspective of the winding arrangement. r

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

F'gure 6 is a diagram of the wiring. In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates a casing of suitable size and shape to accommodate the parts and with a length and height somewhat in excess of the length and height of the display sign desired to present to public view. As here shown, one longitudinal face of the casing, 1

here referred to as the front/of the casing, provides a window or opening 11 the precise size of the part of the display sign desired to be thus exposed, so that the sign may be carried inside the casing and be seen through said window. Preferably the sign islocated between the window or opening 11 and a translucent pane or light diffusing element 12 within the'casing and offset somewhat from the frontwall of the casing. Electric bulbs 13, or other source of light, actuated by a source of power, as the batter'y14, indition of the other pulley l5.

cated in F igure' 6, may be utilized within the casing behind the pane 12 for adding to the visibility of the exposed portion of the display sign. The light from-the bulbs 13' will be dilfused by the translucency of the pane '55 and by offsetting of the pane from the sign, so the sign will be very evenly illuminated thereby.

lVithin the casing, behind the pane 12,- and rotating on axes parallel to each other and parallel to the pane, are a pair of relatively large pulleys 15, 16, here shown'in a common plane close to and substantially parallelto the bottom of the casing, and also shown peripherally grooved to receive a belt 17 where? by one pulley, as 16,may be actuated by rot-a- I For convenience in distinguishing these pulleys, the one first mentioned, namely pulley 16, will be referred to as the driven pulley, and the other one will be referred to as the driving pulleyi15., The driving pulley 15 is itself actuated in suitable manner, which in the present showing is through the agency of an underlying and axially concentric sprocket wheel '18 attached thereto. This sprocket is driven by a chain 19 extending around an adjacent smaller sprocket 20, in turn driven, by suitable reduction gearing in housing 21, from amotor 22 also within the casing and driven 30 by power, if desired, from the same source 14 from which the bulbs 13 aresupplied.

Returning now to a further consideration of the two pulleys, the sameare preferably rotatable upon upstanding and hxeol posts or axles 28, 24 each of which has an added utility as will presently appear. The driving pulley carries upon its upper side and in rotatable unity therewith, an upstanding drum or spool 25-so as to obtain alpositive and equal rotation of the drum with the pulley. This drum constitutes the main driving means or contact with a ribbon 25a, and the ribbon is preferably held in surface contact with the drum by means of a pressure roller 26. This pressure roller is shown adjustable by means of a'transverse supporting arm 27 above the same rigidly carrying the depending roller axle 28 at one end of the said arm,

and itself being carried adjustably in a clip 100.

By preference, the-'ribbon' passes from the drum and roller toward the other pulley l6, that is, to the. driven pulley, with the ribbon standing edgewise upon the upper face-of the pulley and coiled around the post 24' fonmingi'th'e axleofor that pulley; It is by virtue ofithis :coila' ofrthe ribbon that 1 am en abled- .to' employ a; ribbon of any desired length without any alterationi in th'e me'chm a nism supportingand operating theribbon.

Thesribbon should horwever, have at least-a slight degree-of stiffness or self supp ort, such as obtained by a sized cloth or by use'of'a cellulbseribbon; soit'hat the coiled part of the ribbon willliremain upright uponthe pulleys and coil and imcoil readily by the relative action: imp arte d" by; the pulley and by actuation-t oftthe ribbon from the driving, drunr Above the body-:portionof the coil of ribbon on said posta24l; iSJa-iguid-e in the nature of a; forln 'the; tines ;of which stand upwardly parallel to: the post and.-the= cross barv of whichmayibe-carrieddirectly by the post in whichtheaguide will-berigid with respect to the post lThe l inner. convolution of the coil is; deflected upwardly. into= this a guide, theneby enablin gi the ribbon to:be=continuous, feedingionto the outside of the coil and with-- drawing from theiinside of-the'coil. v Taking: full. advantage-0 of the interior capacity-Y .of the casing the ribbon may be carried aroundtthe insidevperiphery: thereof as i indicated-.1 From: the guide: 30 above de+ scribed the ribb'onis therefrom shown carriedito the newcomer of the casing, passing around-a oylind ricali member '31 the'reat, then extendinggto theroth-errear corner to. pass around: another: cylindrical'anember 32there at to d' ire'ctthe 'ri-bb onto the nearest" front 9 corner where its direction; is changed .7 again by--anothercylindrical member 33 enabling the-ribbon toextj'eird across the front andconti gamete theiwindow to. 'another front cylin cal' n1'ember-35 around which the ribbon will pass to direct itto the-receivingside of the driving-ammo -The ribbon-is-:'preferably tensionedg and ashereshown; the-tensioning means zcom-prisearoller 36 pressi-ng the ribbor'i ag'aji n str the first mentioned cylindrical memberte which the ribbon passes to :the

coil; While this-roller maybe freely rotatrablegiit'ispreferable in that instancethatth-e edg e -wise on said rotatable surface with the cooperating cylindrical member 31 resist rotation at least to a slight extent so as to necessitate a positive pull by the ribbon between that member and the next member so that all slack in'the ribbon will be in the coiled portion thereof and portions extending from the coil tothe tensioning rollers 26 and 36.

Attention is directedto thefact that since it is necessary to pass the ribbon leaving the coil above another portion of the ribbon, and that'it*is'preferabletodo this without turning the ribbon to a horizontal position, the

height of the casing is sufficient to accommodatethe double height of ribbon where they cross. The ribbon then slopes from one rear corner to the next and from that corner to the first front corner i at which place the rib: bon is at the proper level so that it williex tend across the 1 front of the :casing; andithe window I in proper parallel relation thereto. The excess height of the CEISZlHQfWll-l have an advantage in providingsurface area particuv larly above and below therwi n'dow for "per lnanent display of suitable: nature;

, Accesste "theinterior of the casingissobtainedby constituting the top thereof a hinged cover, the hinging" 37 being. here shown as: a piano hinge along the upper front cornerof the casing. i In this connec+ tion it is also tobe noted' thiatlthe light bulbs l3are-preferably inserted insockets- 38 each independently carried by abracket 39 in'di v-idual-thereto depending. from the cover. l referably the brackets are ofequal -length so all of the lengths will be a a singlelelevation, Th'atelevation is such that a line normal to the pane 12 from the light will be behindtli'esolid portion of :the front Wall and not 'the window. Light from: thebulbs will therefore be'subject to refraction as well as diffusion in: passing through: the pane to the window. However as signs of this ch'aracter arevery' generally suspended, :as by chains 40 at or above the level of the observers eye, the location of thevbul-b: above-the window tendstoalign" the: general di reetiOn Of the light rays from the bulb, through thewindow to the observer; Having" the brackets 39 for the -bnl bsanounted upon the-001 61 permits of very'ready a ccessto the bulbs byswin-ging the sam'eout' of, the casingwhen it is desired to substitute anew bulb for one that has-burned Oil-ti '7 I i Iclai-m;

1; A display as characterized," comprising arotatable substantially flat surface; a eon tinuous -ribbonhaving a portion thereof extend'edfor display purposes and having another p'ortion thereof coiled and-standing rib b'orr extending from the coil both I at its center and at its periphery to makeconnection wvith thesaid extended portion, whereby actuation of the" extended portion and rotation' of said-"surface obtains a progressive simultaneous winding and unwinding of the coil.

2. A display as characterized, comprising a rotatable substantially flat surface, a continuous ribbon having a portion thereof extended for display purposes and having another portion thereof coiled and standing edge wise on said rotatable surface with the ribbon extending from the coil both at its 1 center and at its periphery tomake connection with the said extended portion, whereby actuation of the extended portion and rotation of said surface obtains a progressive simultaneous winding and unwinding of the coil, and means in conjunction with the rotation of said coil to actuate the extended portion of the ribbon.

3. A display as characterized, comprising a rotatable substantially fiat surface, a con- 2 tinuous ribbon having a portion thereof extended for display purposes and having another portion thereof coiled and standing edge wise on said rotatable surface with the ribbon extending from the coil both at its center and at its periphery to make connection with the extended portion, whereby actuation of the extended portion and rotation of said surface obtains a progressive simultaneous winding and unwinding of the coil, and

3 a pulley in conjunction with the rotation of said coil to actuate the extended portion of the ribbon. a

4. A display as characterized comprising in combination with a casing having a window, a rotatable substantially flat surface, a continuous ribbon having a portion thereof extended for dislay purposes within said casing and in back of said window, and having another portion thereof coiled and standing edgewise on said rotatable surface with the ribbon extending from the coil both at its center and at its periphery to make connection with the extended portion, whereby actuation of the extended portion and rotation of said surface obtains a rogressive simultaneous winding and unwlnding of the coil, and means on the outer periphery of the said casing for holding said display in suspended position.

5o FREDERICK A. APFELBAUM. 

